The Real Messages from Moscow

Warning... a bit long, but by far one of my favorite letters from him so far. I can't believe how much my best friend has grown over the last year and a half....

The beginning of the week was awesome!!!! As I had talked about in my letter last week we had a baptism planned for Saturday for Margarita and her son Paul. I am happy to report that the baptism was great. It was also awesome because the zone leaders had come down on splits the day before and they where able to come to the baptism with us. I have to say the one thing wrong that happened is that Elder Cannon and I forgot to bring a white tie for our branch president as he helped with the baptism. He was kind of upset about it but he forgave us. We has just been so busy trying to get everything else ready that we forgot. Sometimes it is a little hard because the members expect perfection out of us and we are so far from perfect. The baptism and planning was left up to the missionaries entirely to execute and make sure everything happened. God blessed us and it ended up being a great one!

We arrived in the city that we were going to do the baptism in at about 1:15 p.m. It was a little more than two hours to drive there. Fortunately the elders that were serving there had gotten everything prepared. We had to make sure to get everything finished quickly because we had English Club at 6 that night back in Tver. We helped Vladimir, husband of Margarita, get ready in his jumpsuit and we also help Paul. Then we got everything underway and had two great talks by President Sergay, our branch president, and by Elder Cannon. Then we started the baptisms. Margarita was first. I don’t know if I already told you but it was a special occasion because Vladimir got to baptize them. He can’t really move his arms so he couldn’t actually dunk them under the water but he got to say the baptismal prayer and then President Sergay dunked them into the water. Margarita got a little scared and President Sergay had to force her under the water to get her all the way under. After about drowning she finally totally submerged and came back up. Paul went a lot easier. Then we say hymns until they were all finished. Then everyone who wanted had the opportunity to bare their testimony. Margarita was the first one to bare her testimony and it was awesome. The spirit was so strong and I loved hearing her testimony and how she felt cleansed from her sins. It was so rewarding to be able to see all of this and to hear all of it. After we hurried and rushed back to English Club and made it just in time. The Lord truly blessed us.

Then on Sunday it was a busy day for me! I had to talk in church and then do a musical number and teach priesthood. And I thought that when I had to give a talk at home was a lot lol. I don’t think I will ever complain again when I get home about having to talk in church lol. But the best part is that on Saturday night President Sergay called and told me that he had talked to Paul and he had chosen me to give him the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was really an honor and I felt great that I would be able to do that. So we can add that on the list of things I had to do on Sunday. It was really cool as we laid our hands on his head to give him the Holy Ghost. And it was so cool to think that the opportunity we now have to give that precious gift to people all came because of a 14 year old boy who prayed to know with which church he should join. I know that the priesthood was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that those keys are on the Earth today and there are many many people that hold those keys but President Monson being the person who holds all the keys of the priesthood. I’m so thankful for the priesthood and the great role it has played in my life especially buy having a father who holds some of those keys and has been able to bless me through them so many times in my life!

Well as the scripture says, “there must needs be opposition in all things” the second half of this week we have come up against some opposition. On Monday after we had deposited tithing in the bank we went to a lady’s house that Elder Cannon and Elder Jones had found when we were on splits. The lady seemed nice but said that her neighbors that take care of her didn’t like that she talked to us. Little did we know that she was trying to hint something to us. Well we went to the apartment building and like usual there is a phone type thing that we have to use to ring up to her apartment for her to open the door. As we rang we called the wrong door but asked if they knew what apartment number this lady lived in. Well she didn’t tell us which apartment number. Then this fatter guy came up and said something to us. We didn’t understand what he said. He had his wife with him and he was maybe in his forties. Then he grabbed Elder Cannon, because he was the one who had said the lady’s name we were looking for, and shoved him into the wall. Now this took me for a surprise cause I hadn’t had any hostility for a while. The he grabbed Elder Cannon by the coat and hit him a crossed the head. That really ticked me off but I swear the spirit just restrains me in these moments that I have had on the mission to stop me from retaliating. I started yelling at the guy as he is yelling at my companion telling us that we shouldn’t have come back. And then his wife started telling us, “you better leave or we’ll call the cops.” And Elder Cannon and I are thinking, “oh please call the cops and we aren’t the ones that will be into trouble for starting a fight.” Well Elder Cannon is still pinned against the wall and has been hit a couple of more times. I just wanted to run and jump on him but I knew that would make matters worse. So I started to grab the guys coat and finally he turned his attention on me and went after me a little bit just enough for Elder Cannon to get away. After the guy saw that Elder Cannon got away he started yelling at us again be we just quickly left. Well to say the least we were a little flustered from what had happened and I was a little angry and myself that I couldn’t have done more to help or in other words flatten the guy on his back and give him a few words of how I felt. But I knew that wasn’t what the spirit had wanted me to do in this case and had restrained me. Fortunately Elder cannon and been protected and wasn’t hurt at all even though he had been hit a couple of times in the head. But I will always remember that Elder Cannon was smiling the whole time. He is awesome.

Well we had a meeting planned after all that for three o-clock with Demetree. We contacted around the area until our meeting. And then unfortunately our meeting with Demetree wasn’t the greatest because he just wanted to kind of argue that God didn’t have a body. At this point we have decided that Demetree does not have a baptismal date. He just isn’t ready. So Monday just wasn’t the greatest. We had only had one meeting wear as the last 3 Mondays we have had 5 meetings on Monday. Well then Tuesday came. We had a good meeting with Roman at 12:30 but then the rest of the day we were on the streets and door contacting. That was hard for both of us because it was really cold. But the Lord blessed us and we found some new good people but it wasn’t without a lot of hard work. We actually met with one of the people we found on the street. His name is also Paul. He knows English very well and is 21. We met with him last night and it was a good first lesson and he said a very good thanksgiving prayer at the end on our knees. Then to top of the hardness of the day on Tuesday night we talked to Ray and he decided that for the time being he wasn’t going to meet with us anymore. Therefore he also doesn’t have a baptismal date. That was sad too but all is well.

I tell you all these things because I learned a lot those two days. Even though I was happy during those times I realized that I needed to do better. I felt that yes the Lord had blessed us through our trials but I felt like a little bit I had failed. It comes down to a scripture in D&C 78:17-19, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are alittle children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot abear all things now; nevertheless, be of good bcheer, for I will clead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the driches of eeternity are yours. And he who receiveth all things with athankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an bhundred fold, yea, more.” The last verse is what I want to focus on. I realized that I had not gone through all those things with thankfulness as it says and if I had it would have been even better. So I have committed myself to do everything in thankfulness so that I can be even more blessed than by just enduring with a smile.

We still have Roman’s baptism and he is for sure getting baptized. He is awesome and so happy and optimistic even though life is hard for him right now. We love meeting with him! I am happy to say that yesterday was also a better day than the last two. I am so grateful for my Father in Heaven and His love for me and blessings He gives me.

There was so much more I wanted to write and say about what I have learned this week but it will have to wait for another time because I don’t have a lot of time.

Some good news!!!

Ok, quick update... I'm doing really well. The good thing about Anaphylactic Shock is that people tend to recover really quickly. I came home Tuesday at about 3 p.m. (They actually let me vote in the hospital!!! It was a pretty interesting experience concidering it was my first presidential election. I don't know how much my vote should have counted though because I was so drugged up I could barely read the words on the paper! he he) I took of Wednesday and today and tried to mostly relax. Thanks to all of you who have visited or called or prayed... I know it's all helped me so much. My mouth is a little scratched up still because of tubes and I have a lovely scrape above my left nostril because of the tube the had down my nose to pump my stomach, but other than that I'm doing pretty well. My arms are banged up too because (and this may not surprise soem of you) but I guess even when I was knocked out, I was fighting the nurses and DID NOT want to tubes in my mouth or nose. They had to tie me down that night so I wouldn't hurt myself. Needless to say, I bruised my arms a little.

Now, Here is a little update from Moscow... seems like life over there is a little better than here... FOR ONCE! "Last week I said that on Friday we would be having a 'Fall carnival' to celebrate Halloween. I am happy to say it turned out great. Unfortunately someone forgot to pass the memo around that missionaries were, to a degree, allowed to dress up. So I had to find something at the branch to wear as a costume. I found a hardhat so I did the best I could to be a missionary and builder (Missionary and builder are kind of the same. We are building the kinding of God lol). We had more than thirty people show up which was great because at least 20 of them were investigators or people from English Club. There were also a lot of inactive members there. And oh did I mention, THERE WERE LOT OF KIDS!!!! It was awesome to have the little kids there. It's not to often that there are more than two kids at a branch function but on Friday there were about 10 kids atleast. We played a bunch of games after we watch Elder Wirthlin's latest conference talk. It was a great time for me to mingle and mix and get to know the branch members and everyone that came. It was a great night!!

Elder Gunther had to show the little kids how bobbing for apples is really done in America!!!

This is Elder Cannon with some of the kids from the branch who dressed up for the Halloween Party!!!

"On Friday, for our weekly planning, Elder Cannon and I set some high goals. We set a goal to have four investigators at church. Sunday was great because there is a family that has four kids. One is amost nine, so we are trying to get him baptised. His dad is a member but him mom isn't. They are a sweet family and we tried really hard to get them to come to church on Sunday. And they came. It is really hard for them to come to church because the dad is crippled and really can only come to church if someone comes and picks them up. So they came because we got the branch president to pick them up. The kids were very loud though lol during sacrement meeting. We actually ended up taking them into the primary room and watching them the last 15 minutes or so during sacrement meeting because of how roudy they were. I had to run but in before sacrement meeting ended to play the piano. I am also the 2nd counselor in the Elders' quorem. Then my favorite part was that because I'm the only one that knows how to play the piano in the branch, I was asked to play the piano during primary. I LOVED IT!!!! It was so fun to play the primary songs and to sing with the kids and watch their big smiles. I love primary. I am hoping we can work it out somehow so I can continue to play the piano in there because it really invites the spirit and it really calms down the kids!

"The work is picking up as we are focusing on being 100 percent exactly obedient and we are seeing the hand of the Lord in helping us in His work."

Now on the other side of the world....

Here is my latest letter from Hudson (with a few editoral comments for fun!)

"General Conference was awesome!!!! I loved being able to sit and be spiritually fed for 10 plus hours!!!! (I wish that i could be that enthusiastic about it) It was like Christmas come early."

Obviously he is really excited about conference here.... he claims he was only asleep for like 10 minutes.... right!

"A lot of people have asked me what my favorite talk was but honestly that is a really hard question. I don't know if I have a favorite talk because so many of them were so great. However I think my most favorite part of conference weekend here for us was that we got to watch the special on the life of President Monson. I knew he was a great amazing guy but after watching the little documentary I had a spiritual reconfirmation of just how great he is. I loved how at the end of the documentary they ask him something along the lines of what makes him most happy. His answer was really powerful to me. He said, 'Ï loved to listen and act upon the promptings of the spirit just to find out later that acting upon the promptings was an answer to someone's prayers.' To me that reheiterated the importance of listening and immediately reacting to the promptings of the spirit. And also I love how at the end of the statement it says, 'prayers' because it just goes to show that we don't always get an answer right from our first prayer to our Heavenly Father. It, most of the time, takes prayers and not just one prayer. I was just truely touched and inspired by the love of President Monson. It made me want to do everything I can to become like him. "

This past week are so, all the elders had to get flu shots and fun medical stuff so that they don't get sick. Elder Gunther told me that he was watching the shot go in the whole time and actually asked the guy if he could do it himself to "practice" for later in life. While all the other elders were passing out at the thought of needles, Elder Gunther could not take his eyes of the thing.

And on a more funny note:

"So to start off the letter I'm going to tell you of a prank Elder Woodland pulled on me this week. So on Tuesday, it was just like any other morning. However as we were leaving after lunch to go contact on the street my companion said, 'Elder Gunther I feel change coming on.' I then said, 'What do you mean? Transfers aren't for like another 4 weeks.' Then he said, 'I don't know I just feel change coming on.' I then just blew it off. We then went outside and contacted most of the day. Then around 6 at night the AP's called and wanted to talk to my companion. That was a little strange and they talked to him for about 10 minutes. I, after he finished, asked him what they said. He said they were just double checking his passport information so he can get his second passport. I didn't believe him cause he was acting weird and because there is an office elder that usual does that stuff. I grilled him some more on it but then accepted his answer. After English club though Elder Harker, who is the person that usually checks on things like passport stuff, called my companion and talked for a sec. I followed my companion around to see if I could get what they were talking about. Now at the end of the his conversation, little did I know that Elder Harker had already hung up, my companion said, "Wait so will there be room for all three of them?" Then after that, as I thought, I thought he was totally moving because in my mind 3 meant 3 things of baggage. I grilled my companion some more to tell me were he was going. He then said, 'Ok fine. I'm going to Belarus next Thursday and Elder Armstrong is going to be my companion.' When I heard this I was so sad. I really like Elder Woodland and I really wanted to have at least 3 transfers with him. We left the branch in silence because I was feeling 'in the gulf of misery and endless woe.' (I think Elder Gunther is a little melodramatic somtetimes) I sat on the transport all the way home just thinking of how much was going to change. I texted the AP's and asked them if I could know who my new companion was going to be and if I was still going to be in Ryazan or if I was going somewhere else. They didn't text me back though so I just thought they were finalizing everthing with president. After we got off the transport I called the AP's but they didn't answer. So we finished walking home. I can't tell you how depressed I was lol. When we got home the APs called me and I said to him, 'Did you get my text?' He said, 'Ya.' I then asked him who my new comp was going to be. He said what do you mean. I then said it's ok you can tell me. Elder Woodland told me everything. He then said He told you what. I said, 'That he is going to Belarus.' By this time the AP had no idea what I was talking about. He said, 'Elder Gunther I honestly am really confused.' Then it hit me as I looked into the smiling face of my companion. He had pulled a prank on me. And as soon as he realized I figured it out he ran into the bathroom and locked the door. I just started laughing and kind of explained everything to the AP but he still didn't get it and I felt really stupid that I had been had by my companion. I felt a lot better afterwords though knowing that Elder Woodland and I will still be companions at least for another 4 weeks hopefully more though.
This is a picture of Elder Gunther and Elder Woodland with their newest investigators. They are 7th-Day Adventists and are putting up some very interesting questions for these two to answer. They seem to be doing a great job and love teaching Sergay and his daughter Anna.

Along with quilting and cooking, Elder Gunther has also been learning how to play the guitar in his "down time." I don't really know if he ever has down time, but I just can't believe all the stuff he is learning over there. It's amazing and he's just so darn cute eh?

Ok, so i hoped you all enjoyed that. It's so cool how Elder Gunther is really starting to write well and is so decriptive. Mr. Weyand (our 12th grade English teacher) would be so proud of him. It's actually funny to see that he is starting to write more "scripturally" and talks so much like a missionary. I'm so proud of him.... 8 months and 3 weeks left!!!

The best present EVER!!!!

So hudson did the cutest thing for me. It was supposed to be here for my birthday, but Russian mail is so unpredictable and lame, I just got it like a month ago. My dear sweet missionary made his first attempt at quilting and let's just say I'm more than impressed. So in one of his area's, Tula i think, he had a sewing machine. He decided on his P-days that he would make me a quilt. Now, this whole idea began because I made him a quilt before he left on his mission... that little COPY CAT! Well, on the quilt are squares that contain little quotes of songs or sayings or scriptures that are important to us. I can't believe he did this. Man, did I say that I love him yet? Because I do... I really do!

If you can't already tell, this quilt never really leaves my side when I'm at home. I eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom with it.... well, maybe not go to the bathroom, but you get the idea!

I'm writing.... a sister missionary?

Here is a little funny story from Elder Gunther. "Yesterday as Elder Woodland and I were door contacting we knocked on a door and no one answered. So we went to the next level below. As we did a younger guy walked up the stairs onto the level we had just been on. Then all of the my companion and I heard an older voice talking to the guy. She said, '' Did you see that guy and girl that were just here?'' The guy answered, “No.” The lady then answered, “Just barely there was a guy and a girl standing at my door.” When elder Woodland and I heard this we just looked at each other because we had just been at her door and she hadn't opened it for us and she didn't even say anything to us through the door. And we thought it was weird because Elder Woodland and I had been the only ones there. Then the lady said to the guy, “Are you sure you didn't see the guy and the girl that were just here. The guy was taller and the girl was shorter.” Then me and my companion looked at each other and laughed because she was totally talking about us but apparently hadn't gotten a good view of us. She thought that I had been the ''short girl'' and my companion and been the ''tall guy'' lol. I asked my companion if I really looked like a girl and he just laughed and said no. I didn't even have my hair curly like usual. So I don't know how the lady thought I looked like a girl."

A few of the latest stories from Russia

"So to start out this week as far as the work goes has been pretty good. Last night we had an interesting experience. Earlier that day we had had District Meeting. One thing we talked about was trying to ask more questions and not just the regular questions we usually ask people. So having had that in mind as we went door contacting I tried to ask questions that would make people think and that applied specifically to them and what they would say to us. So the last door, it's always the last door, a man opened up. He was in his mid 20's I think. We started talking to him and he said that he wasn't interested. He also said that he didn't believe in God. I just kept asking him questions and he eventually came out of the hallway and started talking to us. We told him we had a book we wanted to give to him. We told him we wanted to tell him how we got the book and what it was about and he agreed. So we started teaching him the first lesson. Right before we finished, one of his friends who was a cop came out and started smoking. I was really bummed because I thought his friend was going to ruin everything. But as soon as his friend came out I started to ask his friend questions to make him feel important and it worked lol. He opened up and he actually said he would like to read the Book of Mormon too. So we got two contacts and had one lesson. And one funny thing that happened while we were talking to them. I turned to the cop guy, who had a gun on his belt which you don't see very much here in Russia, and I was going to make an anolgy with the rules we follow in the countries we live in to the commandments. Anyways I said to the cop guy, 'so we all have rules we have to follow no matter where we live right?! The rules may be different but there is always some kind of law.' He then laughed and said, 'ya that is right except for in Russia. Here we follow about 25% of the laws. The rest are more like guidelines.' SCARY!

"The second story happened today as we were in Moscow. We were going down into the metro we met a group of older people who saw us and said, 'we know who you are!' Sorry I forgot to mention that they said this in English because they were from the US. It turns out that they weren't Mormon but they had family members who were. SO we talked to them for about ten minutes and started going down in to the Metro. As we were about to get on to the Metro train a lady stopped us again and talked in English but had a thick Russian accent. She was just smiling so big. She said, 'I'm so glad I saw you guys! I have seen you guys two or three times in the metro but you have always been going up the other side of the escalator. I have always wanted to say hi cause I LOVE you guys. My husband is Mormon and we live in Houston Texas.' We ended up talking to her for about an hour as we were going to the bus station and she was even able to talk to the other Americans we had met. She knew English really well and so we talked to her in English. I can't tell you how many times she said she loves missionaries. Unfortunately she isn't a member but she is a great lady and says that she knows that we are sent here from God and that we are 'angels without wings.' She says that she always tells people that Mormons are great and that people need to marry Mormons because there isn't a greater people. She says she can't stand when people say anything bad about mormons, especially when Russians say it. She says that she is our defender and wants everone to know who great we are. She also kept sayin that it was a miracle that we met up with eachother. She said that she was thirty minutes late to something she needed to do because she had gotten held up. She said that she knew that God had put us into each other's paths'! In short it was a great conversation and we got her information down and she said she couldn't wait to tell her husband and the missionaries in Texas lol! The mission is great and I am so thankful for the many people that the Lord puts in our way even if a lot of them don't result in a baptism! I just love talking to people and especially when it comes to talking about this great gospel."

Here are some recent mission pictures for ya'll!

This is Elder Gunther and Elder Wagner, another missionary from his area. Behind them is a river/lake that they performed their FIRST BAPTISM in!

This is Elder Despain, their new convert, and Elder Gunther prior to the baptism. Note: I'm not sure if the bare-chested man is part of the group the took with them or just an innocent, curious bystander.

I'd just like to point out in this picture that while Hudson is not a super tall person, these members in Russia don't seem to be giants, so he fits in quite well with them. Oh man.... LOVE HIM!

I guess P-days aren't super buys... but it looks like Elder Despain has taken a liking to doing Elder Gunther's hair. I don't know if the whole fau-hawk thing works for a missionary....

As missionaries, they aren't allowed to hold or really even touch little kids and so here we see Elder Gunther's urge to cuddle something being taken out on the homeless kittens in the street. Don't worry, I don't think he took any home with him.

The humble beginning...

So since EVERYONE else seems to have a blog, I guess it's time that I start one. The thing is, though, that i don't have a husband or kids to blog about. Don't worry, this isn't going to turn into my dairy. But this is how it's going to work: our life lessons/lectures will come from the missionary in Russia and I'll be here to be the comedic relief. So hold on folks and we'll make it through this next year together.